CRC 1475 „Metaphors of Religion“

Religious Meaning-Making in Language Use

SFB1475—Project Site

Religious meaning-making occurs in and through metaphors. In metaphors, meaning is trans-ferred from one semantic domain to another. Religion, which cannot directly address its ultimate subject (the transcendent), is dependent on this procedure. The CRC seeks to more thoroughly understand this process theoretically and grasp it methodologically to research its semantic forms empirically and comparatively. The shapes religion takes as a socio-cultural phenomenon are thus better understood and central developments within specific religious traditions become more tangible. The CRC contributes to the historiography of religions, on the one hand, and to answering systematic questions in the comparative study of religions, on the other.

While extensive research on metaphors in religious texts exists, the CRC’s novel approach lies, first, in its systematic focus on metaphoricity as the central principle of religious meaning-making. Religion is understood as the form of communication that has the function of coping with ultimate contingency by means of the transcendence/immanence distinction. In this paradoxical process, the metaphor is used to infer the unknown (target domain) from known means (source domain) and in this way creates religious meaning.

Second, the CRC’s multidisciplinary composition allows for comparative studies on an unprec-edented scale in the field. The subprojects cover multiple religious traditions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Daoism. Their geographical foci cover Europe, the Near and Middle East, South, Central, and East Asia. The time frame ranges from 3,000 BCE to the present day. The structuring of the subprojects in three sections is based on the elementary linguistic domains, ‘The Physical’, ‘The Mind’, and ‘The Social.’

Thirdly, the CRC is integrated through a shared methodological workbench, most notably an instrument for metaphor annotation used in all subprojects, complementing hermeneutic interpretation on the one hand and computational analysis on the other. In pilot projects, computational methods will be further developed, tailored to the CRC’s needs, and gradually implemented in further subprojects. The research corpora will be integrated into a shared repository and all identified metaphors will be linked with a ‘Thesaurus of Religious Metaphors’ (TRM). This will be both a central result of the CRC and a crucial tool for further comparative work across the subprojects and beyond.

In the first funding phase, the CRC will concentrate on the empirical analysis of textual materi-al. However, a working group will explore the relationship between metaphors and material objects and develop methodological approaches. In future funding phases of this CRC, we also aim to advance the theoretical conceptualization in the broader context of religious sign processes and develop new and innovative tools for their analysis.

Duration

01/2022 - 12/2025

Funded by

Affiliated Persons

Photograph of Dr. Lilith Apostel

Dr. Lilith Apostel

Research Associate

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Office 2.11
+49 234 32-21978
lilith.apostel@rub.de
NA

Dr. Nikita Artemov

Research Associate

Universitätsstr. 150
44801  Bochum
Office GA 7/147
+49 234 32-22453
nikita.artemov@rub.de
AB

Adrian Bernhard M.A.

Research Assistant

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Office 2.13
Adrian.Bernhard@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
TB

Dr. Timo Bülters

Associated

Ludwig-Wucherer-Str. 2
06108  Halle (Saale)
timo.buelters@germanistik.uni-halle.de
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Prof. Dr. Johann Büssow

Principal Investigator

Universitätsstr. 150
44801  Bochum
Office GB 2/38
+49 234 32-28125
johann.buessow@rub.de
CC

Chung-Yi Choi M.A.

Research Assistant

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Chung.Choi@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
LD

Lea David

Research Assistant

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Lea.David@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
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Dr. Gina Derhard-Lesieur

Associated

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Office 2.11
+49 234 32-24794
gina.derhard@rub.de
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Dr. Licia Di Giacinto

Principal Investigator

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Office 2.14
+49 234 32-21992
licia.digiacinto@rub.de
SD

Prof. Dr. Stefanie Dipper

Deputy Spokesperson

Universitätsstr. 150
44801  Bochum
Office GB 1/161
+49 234 32-25112
stefanie.dipper@rub.de
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Prof. Dr. Marion Eggert

Principal Investigator

Universitätsstr. 150
44801  Bochum
Office GB 1/46
+49 234 32-25572
marion.eggert@rub.de
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Prof. Dr. Frederik Elwert

Principal Investigator

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Office 2.06
+49 234 32-23024
frederik.elwert@rub.de
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Makar Fedorov

Research Associate

Universitätsstr. 150
44801  Bochum
Office GB 1/159
makar.fedorov@rub.de
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Sabrina Finke M.A.

Öffentlichkeitsarbeit

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Office 3.08
+49 234 32-21964
sabrina.finke@rub.de
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Prof. Dr. Christian Frevel

Principal Investigator

Universitätsstr. 150
44801  Bochum
Office GA 7/149
+49 234 32-22611
christian.frevel@rub.de
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Henning Gebhard M.Sc.

Research Associate

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Office 2.07
henning.gebhard@rub.de
TG

Tabea Gibbert M.A.

Research Assistant

tabea.gibbert@student.uni-halle.de
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Prof. Dr. Reinhold Glei

Principal Investigator

Universitätsstr. 150
44801  Bochum
Office GB 2/162
+49 234 32-22761 / -28761
reinhold.glei@rub.de
MG

Miriam Greshake M.A.

Research Assistant

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
miriam.greshake@rub.de
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Julia Heinig

Research Associate

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Office 2.12
+49 234 32-21684
metaphor-papers@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
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Dr. Vandana Jha

Research Associate

+49 721 608-28781
vandana.jha@kit.edu
MJ

Maren Jordan

Research Associate

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Office 3.08
+49 234 32-21982
maren.jordan@rub.de
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Claudia Jürgens

Research Associate

Universitätsstraße 90a
44789  Bochum
Office 4.11
+49 234 32-28618
claudia.juergens@rub.de
CK

Christian Kallwass

Research Assistant

Universitätsstr. 150
44801  Bochum
Office Institut für Arabistik und Islamwissenschaften, GB 2/141
+49 234 32-24383
christian.kallwass@rub.de
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Dr. Tim Karis

Former Coordinator/ Cooperation Partner

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44789  Bochum
Office 3.10
+49 234 32-25492
tim.karis@rub.de
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Prof. Dr. Volkhard Krech

Spokesperson

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44789  Bochum
Office 3.12
+49 234 32-22395
volkhard.krech@rub.de
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Alina Krentz M.A.

Research Assistant

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
+492343222056
alina.krentz@rub.de
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Dr. Patrick Felix Krüger

Research Associate

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Office 3.14
+49 234 32-21958
patrick.krueger@rub.de
EK

Elsa Küppers

PhD Student

elsa.kueppers@rub.de
RL

Reyhaneh Lamei M.A.

Research Assistant

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44789  Bochum
Office 1.12
reyhaneh.lamei@rub.de
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Prof. Dr. Carmen Meinert

Principal Investigator

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Office 1.05
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carmen.meinert@rub.de
NM

Neda Mohtashami PhD

Research Associate

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Office 1.09
neda.mohtashami@rub.de
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Hossein Najari

Associated

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
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hossein.najari@rub.de
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Hey Chiu Pang M.A.

Research Assistant

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
hey.pang@rub.de
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Prof. Dr. Martin Papenheim

Associated

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Office 4.14
martin.papenheim@rub.de
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PD Dr. Rosel Pientka-Hinz

Principal Investigator

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44789  Bochum
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rosel.pientka-hinz@rub.de
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Prof. Dr. Jessie Pons

Principal Investigator

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Office 1.04
+49 234 32-22955
jessie.pons@rub.de
SR

Sebastian Reimann

Research Associate

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Office 2.07
sebastian.reimann@rub.de
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Prof. Dr. Kianoosh Rezania

Principal Investigator

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Office 1.10
+49 234 32-21979
kianoosh.rezania@rub.de
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Lina Rodenhausen

PhD Student

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Office 2.07
lina.rodenhausen@rub.de
MR

Melissa Rogalski

Research Assistant

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
melissa.rogalski@rub.de
AR

Adam Roussel

Research Associate

adam.roussel@rub.de
YS

Yusef Saadat

Research Associate

Universitätsstraße 90a
44789  Bochum
Office 1.14
+49234 32-21975
yusef.saadat@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
NS

Natchakamon Savapakarn

Research Assistant

natchakamon.savapakarn@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
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Prof. Dr. Tatjana Scheffler

Principal Investigator

Universitätsstr. 150
44801  Bochum
Office GB 5/157
+49 234 32-21471
tatjana.scheffler@rub.de
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Alexander Schröder

Associated

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
alexander.schroeder@rub.de
SS

Prof. Dr. Simone Schultz-Balluff

Associated

Ludwig-Wucherer-Straße 2
06108  Halle (Saale)
simone.schultz-balluff@germanistik.uni-halle.de
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Dr. Roman Seidel

Research Associate

Universitätsstr. 150
44801  Bochum
Office Institut für Arabistik und Islamwissenschaften, GB 2/141
+49 234 32-24383
roman.seidel@rub.de
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Dunja Sharbat Dar

Associated

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
dunja.sharbatdar@rub.de
LS

Prof. Dr. Linda Simonis

Principal Investigator

Universitätsstr. 150
44801  Bochum
Office GB 3/162
+49 234 32-28564
linda.simonis@rub.de
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Dr. Jan-Ulrich Sobisch

Research Associate

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Office 4.11
+49 234 32-28619
jan-ulrich.sobisch@rub.de
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Johannes Steinbach M.Ed.

Research Associate

Universitätsstr. 150
44801  Bochum
Office GB 2 / 147
Johannes.Steinbach@rub.de
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PD Dr. Knut Martin Stünkel

Research Associate

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Office 2.05
+49 234 32-21993
knut.stuenkel@gmx.net
DT

Dr. Danah Tonne

Principal Investigator

Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), Steinbuch Centre for Computing (SCC), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1
76344  Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen
+49 721 608 25904
danah.tonne@kit.edu
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Philipp Tögel

Research Associate

philipp.toegel@kit.edu

Emre Ünal

Research Assistant

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Emre.Uenal@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
JV

Prof. Dr. Judith Visser

Associated

Universitätsstr. 150
44801  Bochum
AW

Alexandra Wiemann

PhD Student

alexandra.wiemann@rub.de
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Dr. Vicky Ziegler

Research Associate

Universitätsstr. 150
44801  Bochum
Office GB 2/147
+49 234 32-19259
vicky.ziegler@rub.de

Former Affiliated Persons

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Tillo Detige

Research Associate

Universitätsstr. 90a
44789  Bochum
Office 3.14
tillo.detige@rub.de
JK

Dr. Jakob Krais

Research Associate

jakob.krais@fu-berlin.de
EA

Esra Apaydin

Research Assistant

esra.apaydin@rub.de